


Identity Crisis

by Titti



Category: Law & Order: SVU, Wanted (TV)
Genre: Challenge Response, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-01-18
Updated: 2006-01-18
Packaged: 2017-11-28 06:41:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/671450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Titti/pseuds/Titti
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stable and Drake are forced to go undercover together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Identity Crisis

**Author's Note:**

> Written for oz_magi on LJ.

A murderer was on the loose. Not just a murderer, but a man who liked to rape and torture his victims before killing them. Brian 'the Prince' Carter had escaped from a maximum facility in Los Angeles. The fugitive squad had followed his steps until he fled California.

Unable to let go of the case, Rose had authorized Eddie to follow Carter's party boys to New York, in the hope of finding the bastard. Two weeks of gay clubs, meth deals, and loud music had allowed Eddie to get close to these guys and Carter. However, a new murder and the NYPD had forced Carter to go underground before Eddie had had a chance to arrest the son of a bitch.

Now, Eddie was sitting at a bar in Chelsea, surrounded by people who were ready to meet up with Carter again, people who were ready to take him to Carter. He was so close that he could taste it. That was why when he saw the man enter the bar, he knew he had to act before it went all down the drain.

The man looked as straight as they came. Cheap suit worn without any concern for how he looked, raincoat that had seen better days, confident stride, even the gun on his right side obvious to anyone who knew what to look for. This guy screamed cop to Eddie, and he couldn't let anyone else suspect that.

Jumping off his stool, Eddie walked in front of the newcomer. He hugged him, his hand brushing the right side to make sure the gun was there. "US Marshal, don't blow my cover," he whispered in the man's ear, before kissing him right on the lips, smirking at the surprised tension he felt from the cop. "Hey there." Eddie looked at the man again. "I know you want the job, but if they make you dress like this... God, you look like shit."

To his credit, the cop didn't miss a beat. "Yeah, I thought about a tight shirt and low riding jeans, but they don't like those at job interviews."

 _This was going to be fun._ Eddie grinned. "But you look sooo much better in tight jeans." He smacked the cop's ass. "They show off your assets." He ignored the murderous look thrown his way, and turned to Carter's gang. "Hey, guys, we're gonna go home, have something to eat, maybe do... something else, and I'll see you later, okay?"

There were snorts all around, but one of the men nodded, and said, "11 pm at Stonewall."

* * *

Eddie leaned back in the chair, stretched his legs in front of him, one ankle over the other, and crossed his arms in front of him. "Once again, I didn't need to inform you or anyone else. I'm a fucking US Marshal, I can go to any state and arrest fugitives, in case you people didn't know."

"And it's common courtesy to let the local authorities know about it," Capt. Cragen answered, "especially when backup would make things smoother."

Eddie snorted. "Yeah, you've been a great help. First, you scared Carter into hiding, and today, you send Mr. I'm So Fucking Straight I Got A Stick Up My Ass into a gay bar. Thanks, but I was doing much better without your help."

"We are investigating the murder of a man who was brutally assaulted," Olivia stressed.

"Nah? Really?" Eddie asked sarcastically. "Me? I thought I was on a paid vacation." He sighed, and sat up. "Look, you're not gonna get this guy the regular way. Carter is smart, educated. He's not going to make stupid mistakes."

Elliot looked at the picture again, and shook his head. "I don't understand how someone like this can turn out so badly. Good family, good education. He had everything people want."

Eddie rolled his eyes. "Yeah, it was all peachy, except for the part where his parents tried to turn him straight."

"We're not going to debate what turns people to crime, all right?" Cragen said. "Why don't you tell us what you know about this guy, Drake? Things that aren't in the official report."

"Okay. He grew up in a religious family. He played the game until he turned twenty-one and he could tap into his trust fund. Then, it was partying all the time. He and his group of friends, and make no mistakes, this ain't a gang. They are friends, they started dealing meth, first local, then bigger, but the meth is always a way to have fun, not a business for them. That's why they had no problem stopping their business in California and move here.

"From what I learned, none of the other guys were involved with the killings, but Carter has become some sort of hero in the party circuit."

"How's that possible?" Olivia asked. "The man rapes and kills innocent men."

"Yes, but he only rapes and kills straight men. Plenty of gays get bashed and killed, and they think no one cares," Eddie answered. "The first assault wasn't even premeditated. He was selling some meth to these two guys. They thought they could take advantage of the fag-"

"Homosexual," Elliot cut in.

Eddie snorted. "Right, we need to be politically correct. So, these two boys didn't count on the _faggot_ to be strong and ruthless. He used the jack in his car, beat the shit out of the two, and left them for dead. After that..." Eddie shrugged. "People didn't take advantage after that."

"So you think he's justified?" Olivia asked incredulous. "Just because his parents didn't understand him and-"

"Hey, hey, sweetheart, I don't give a shit about that. I leave the psychological crap to others. My job is to catch them, and if I'm lucky, they'll try to shoot me."

Elliot stepped closer, until he was towering over Eddie. "It's Detective Benson, not sweetheart."

"Leave him, he's not worth it," Olivia told Elliot, before turning to Eddie. "Why do you want them to shoot at you?"

Eddie gave her the biggest grin. "'Cause if they do, I can legally kill them, and save everyone grief and money."

"That's not how we do things in New York," Cragen said.

"Good thing that I don't work for you then." Eddie stood up. "Look, I've wasted enough time. They'll expect me at the club soon. Make sure to stay out of my way, and we'll be fine."

"That's not good enough." Cragen stood as well, and went around the desk, resting against it. "Whether you like it or not, we are investigating Carter. I think it will be best if we work together on this. You've already infiltrated his group, and we can provide backup."

"Him?" Eddie asked, pointing a finger toward Elliot. He snorted. "He was about to flip when I kissed him."

"Unlike you, I don't go around kissing men," Elliot answered, refusing to back down.

"You kissed me back, baby." Eddie cocked his head. "I'm undercover, what's your excuse?"

"I did NOT kiss you back," Elliot snapped back.

"You two are giving me a headache. Out, everyone out of this office," Cragen said. "Drake, don't leave just yet."

Eddie nodded. "Ten minutes, Captain, and then I have to go."

"Ten minutes is more than enough."

* * *

Eddie sat on a desk, a foot on a chair, ignoring the glares he was getting from the detectives. If anything, they amused him. They were still trying to find out if he was gay, and yet they were too P.C. to just come out and say it. God help him from sensitive cops.

He also looked into the captain's office. The man had been on the phone for over five minutes, back always turned to them, so Eddie had no idea what was happening.

Finally, Cragen put the phone down. He turned and found Eddie through the glass door. Right at that moment, Eddie's cell rang. He looked at the number, and sighed. This could not be good.

"What?"

"Hello to you, too," Rose said. "I've just got a call-"

"I had a vague suspicion that you might. Look, I've got in; I'm gonna get the guy-"

"Good, and you'll have NYPD to back you up."

"Are you crazy? These guys? They'll blow my cover in no time." Eddie looked up, and found Elliot. "No offence, but I made you in two seconds. Conrad, listen, this guy is so fucking straight, there's no way in hell they'll think he's my boyfriend. Hell, he looks like Jimmy, and that means he looks like he hasn't got laid in months-"

"Eddie, I'm not debating this. I'm not there to cover your back, and you might need someone. I'm not gonna leave you stranded when you can have backup."

Eddie kicked the trashcan, papers spilling on the floor. Of course Rose knew what buttons to push. An order would have meant more discussions, but the 'I'm tough, but I can't lose a man under my command' argument was a lot more effective. "Fine, but you owe me for this."

Rose snorted. "I'm not paying for your whores."

Eddie chuckled. "I don't need whores, plenty of chicks who want me. I'll find something else I want."

"Fine, just get this guy, and come home."

"Okay, I'll call you as soon as I know more." Eddie closed his phone, and walked to Elliot. He rested a hand on Elliot's shoulder, and cocked his head. "Wanna party tonight, baby?"

Elliot stepped back, and looked at Cragen. "Captain, you can't really mean-"

"Look," Eddie started, "you want to be involved? Then, you're stuck with me. Getting in wasn't too difficult. They are a trusting bunch if they think you're one of them. I went to the right bars, the right clubs, partied all night, done some flirting. They think I have a boyfriend. He works long hours, and he's looking for a new job, since the one he has is too demanding. We're in a committed relationship, which stopped any questions about why I wasn't fucking around.

"They never met this boyfriend until tonight, and you're it, Detective. So you can play along, and do it without looking disgusted, or I leave this station and no harm done. I got no problems either way. In fact, I'd rather work alone."

Eddie slid his fingers over Elliot's tie, letting it fall as he hooked his fingers in Elliot's waistband, and pulled him closer. "So what's gonna be, baby?"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "He's only trying to scare you, Elliot. It's just a role."

"It's a sin," Elliot answered, jaw tensing as he stared at Eddie.

"It's neither," Eddie answered, coldly. "We do this, and you have to be convincing. It involves touching, kissing, intimacy. If you look like you're being tortured, they're never going to buy it. It's bad enough that you look like a cop, but if you get itchy every time I get close, we're both gonna end up dead, and I rather like being alive."

Elliot sighed, and turned his head toward Cragen. "I don't know if I can, Captain."

"We can't put anyone else in, but if you don't think you can do it, we can still assist in the case, provide any backup Drake needs." Cragen put his hands in his pockets and shook his head. "It's not my call, Elliot. The final decision is yours, because he's right, if you can't get into your role, both of you will be in danger."

Elliot rubbed his neck. "We have to get this guy." He let out a deep breath. "So where do we start?"

Eddie grinned. "We go shopping, because there is no way they'll even let you in dressed like that."

* * *

Thursdays at Stonewall were well known in the gay community. It was when you partied without any restraints. Regardless what Eddie had said, clothes were optional. Most men wore nothing more than tight shorts; the women had scanty outfits that would barely be legal on a public beach.

Eddie kept an open, loose shirt over a white wifebeater, effectively covering the gun he had in the middle of his back. Never go anywhere without your weapon was the number one rule for a marshal, and it was the one rule Eddie didn't mind following. Of course, it meant he had to be particularly careful when people were greeting him. He soon learned that pressing his back against Elliot solved the problem, and provided entertainment as well.

"Do you have to keep doing that?" Elliot growled in Eddie's ear the umpteenth time that Eddie leaned against him.

Eddie looked at their reflections in the glass walls, and froze. God, maybe he needed to get the man angry more often, because Elliot had changed. The tense cop look had disappeared, making Elliot look alive, dangerous, and sexy.

Eddie interlaced his fingers with Elliot's and rested their hands on his stomach. He turned to look at the man, and the anger coming off from Elliot crackled like a pure, cold flame that could easily burn you. Oh yes, this could be easily mistaken for another type of tension, much better than the aloof stance Elliot had had until then.

He could have explained about the gun; he could have silenced any complaint, but Eddie never did like simple things. "Why? You're enjoying this a little too much? Afraid that next time my ass touches your cock, I'll find a little surprise?"

Elliot squeezed Eddie's fingers as he pulled the marshal closer. "I'm enjoying this as much as a visit to the department's shrink, and if you don't stop, I'll make sure you enjoy it just as much," he hissed in Eddie's ear.

"But you love me," Eddie answered in a whine.

"Oh, I know what I'd love to do to you," Elliot replied.

Eddie snorted. "Wow, that almost sounds dirty. Now, try it with a leer, and we're in business."

Elliot sighed. "So when are we going to see this guy?"

"Not tonight," Eddie answered, all business. "This is too public for Carter. 'Sides, I don't even think he is in New York anymore. I'm just waiting for these idiots to take me to him."

"You're saying we're wasting our time here?"

"No, we're building a cover." Eddie shook his head. This job was going to be torture with all the time they'd be spending together. "All right, we can leave, but remember this is just the start. Just give me a moment, I'll find an excuse why we're leaving."

Elliot grabbed Eddie's arm as he walked away. "What are you going to tell them?"

Eddie stepped closer, smirked. "What do you think?" He closed the gap, crushing Elliot's mouth with his.

Elliot froze, his fingers around Eddie's biceps. As much as he wanted to pull away, he couldn't, and Eddie kept kissing him. He almost jerked away when he felt Eddie lick his lips, but remembered why they were here. It was only a role. It was not real. None of this was real. He only followed Eddie when he broke the kiss to stay in character, not because he didn't want the kiss to end. That would be preposterous. 

He stood stoically as he watched Eddie wink at him before walking to Carter's friends. Elliot watched every movement, every glance directed his way. He had a really good idea what was being said, but he didn't care. He was doing his job, nothing more or less. However, he could admit to himself that he was finally happy when they got out of the club, fresh air cooling him down.

"Are you okay?" Eddie asked as he lit a cigarette, and offered one to him.

"I don't smoke," Elliot answered. "Where are we going?"

Eddie sucked on his cigarette before letting the smoke out. "I have an apartment a couple of blocks from here. Come up, and we can go over some stuff, make sure we get our story straight, so to speak." He grabbed Elliot's wrist. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"I'm doing my job," Elliot said, grinding his teeth.

"That's not what I asked."

Elliot stopped, and turned to Eddie. "Why do you care?"

"Because we can't afford for you to flip." Eddie threw the Marlboro on the ground, and crashed it with his boot. "Look, I like to push people's buttons, but I'm not stupid. You clearly have a problem with gays-"

"I don't, okay? I don't discriminate, I think they should have every right straight people have-"

"But you still think it's wrong, a sin. Me..." Eddie opened his arms. "I don't give a crap what the Catholic Church says."

"You're Catholic?" Elliot asked, shocked. "How can you..."

"Yeah... a recovering one at least, but I have no problem with this. Kissing a man or kissing a woman isn't much different, but if you're gonna freak, it's better if you resume your busy work schedule, and I go partying by myself."

"I thought we had this discussion already."

"Yes, in a room full of people. I don't give a shit about any of them. This is about you and me, because we're the ones risking our necks."

Elliot started to walk again. "I'm not backing down; I just don't understand how you can be so casual."

Eddie shrugged. "Do you know how many women I've kissed? Too many, and I don't remember most of their names. Kissing a few men isn't going to change anything in the grand scheme of things."

"Do you know how many women I've kissed?" Elliot spared Eddie a glance. "Only one since I was sixteen: my wife."

"Jesus," Eddie murmured under his breath. "So... how is she going to take this?"

"Divorce was final a few weeks ago. I doubt she'll care," Elliot answered.

"Sorry, I've gone through one of those myself. Then again, I was cheating on her regularly."

Elliot looked at him, displeasure evident on his face. "How can you do that to the woman you love?"

"I loved her when she wasn't being a pain in the fucking ass, always complaining that I wasn't there for her. Then again, I was always traveling, so she did have a point. Of course, it also meant that I got lonely, and there are always plenty of women willing to have a good time." Eddie stopped, and started laughing. "I was right, oh God, you really haven't got laid in months."

Elliot stared, jaw set as he tried to stop the urge to punch the guy. "I'm faithful to my wife."

"You don't have a wife anymore. Unless you plan to be celibate for the rest of your life, you'd better start looking around."

"After twenty three years, it's not..." Elliot shook his head. "It's irrelevant to the case."

"Sure it is," Eddie said sarcastically. "However since you are a free man, you can stay at my place."

"Are you joking?"

Eddie chuckled. "Don't worry, man, I'm not going to jump you, but the more time we spend together, the easier it becomes to pretend."

Elliot had done enough undercover work to know that it made sense, however it didn't mean that he liked the prospect to spend his days with this amoral prick. "Fine, I'll stay at your place. Hopefully, we'll get this guy quickly."

Eddie smiled. He doubted that they'd get Carter as soon as Stabler wanted, but at least now, he had something to help him pass the time: he could annoy Stabler.

* * *

Living with Eddie wasn't as bad as Elliot thought it would be. It was just like the Marines. You bunked with a guy, you shared a bathroom, you did everything together until there was a sense of familiarity that permeated every action. Sure, the kissing wasn't part of the Marine Corp's routine, but Elliot kept reminding himself that it was an act.

The nights at the clubs weren't bad either. The clubs were loud and crowded, and not much conversation was possible. The occasional touch or kiss were enough to appease the people present, attracting the occasional wink or conspiratorial smile. 

Of course, Eddie loved getting those reactions, and knew exactly how to get them. There were the hands lingering too close to Elliot's crotch, the lips almost brushing against Elliot's ear, the fingers caressing Elliot's bare arm. They were all getting so familiar that Elliot didn't even object anymore. It was an act after all.

The hardest obstacles came ten days later. They'd been invited to a private party, and Elliot dreaded the idea of what that might entail.

"Relax," Eddie said as he parked the car in front of an innocuous looking brick house. "When we go there, smile, accept all the drugs they hand you, pretend to take them."

"I can't believe we're in Long Island. People move here to protect their kids from the city, and instead..."

"The burbs have more bored people looking for even more illegal ways to pass the time. Give me New York or LA any time." Eddie cupped the back of Elliot's head, his thumb sliding over Elliot's neck. "People in there... they'll be doing a lot more than kissing... are you ready?"

Elliot tensed even more. He did not like it when people questioned his ability to do the job. "I've worked with SVU for twelve years. I think I have a pretty good idea of what they'll be doing."

"You usually deal with the consequences of a crime. This is... this is different. These people aren't victims. They are men who enjoy sex and don't care when and where they do it. In fact, they're too high to give a shit about who's watching. You can't look at them like you're judging them, 'cause you're one of them right now. We're here to have a good time, remember that?"

Elliot covered Eddie's hand with his, stopping all movement. "I'm fine," he said curtly. "Let's go."

Fine didn't begin to describe how he felt when he stepped inside the house. The lights were dimmed, but there was enough light to see the half naked men roaming through the rooms. The music was loud, but not enough to attract the cops. Drugs were everywhere, with men doing lines on coffee tables, naked bodies, or whatever else came handy. A guy was sitting in a large armchair, legs spread and jeans opened. His hand was on top of the head of another guy, who was kneeling, sucking him off. "Jesus," he whispered, too low for anyone to hear.

He turned when he felt a hand take his. Eddie pulled him closer, wrapping an arm around his waist. "You're staring. Stop it," Eddie ordered him in a hiss, before kissing his jaw. 

Elliot closed his eyes. He needed to stay in control if they wanted to stay alive. This was nothing he hadn't encountered in his job, and yet, Eddie was right. Knowing about these parties was not the same as being at one. "I'm good; I'm okay."

Eddie nodded. "If it gets too much, we can always hide in a room. They'll think we're fucking; it'll increase our credibility."

Elliot laughed. "I never thought that making love would make me more credible."

"Not making love, but fucking, screwing... for God's sake, you're not going to burn in hell if you curse a few times."

"Fine... fucking, happy now?"

"It's a start," Eddie said with a grin.

"Eddie, Elliot, you've made it." 

Rule one of undercover work: make as few changes as possible, this way it's less likely that you'll slip. For that reason, they kept their first names and changed the last names.

The two men turned. Eddie took a step and shook the man's hand. "Hey, Mark. Told you I was going to get him here."

"Come on, we're all in the kitchen." 

Elliot and Eddie followed him in the kitchen. Elliot went by the counter and leaned against it, as he observed the room. The rest of Carter's gang was there. The four men (Josh, Bill, Kurt, and Seth) were busy sorting the drugs set on the table. There was enough meth in all forms to guarantee a few life sentences for these guys.

Josh looked up, and grinned. "Work isn't as bad now?"

"It's always bad," Elliot said with a shrug.

"I told him, me or overtime. Guess what he picked?" Eddie asked, mirroring Josh's grin.

"Dude, you're right," Seth said. "What the fuck do you work so hard for, Elliot? It's not like you have a family to take care of."

"Fucking breeders have to worry about that shit," Kurt put in, while saving some pills in a bag, before waving the bag. "We get to party until we die."

Which was going to be rather sooner than later, Elliot thought. These guys wouldn't live much longer with the amount of drugs they did. However, he tried to play along. He pulled Eddie closer, until the marshal was standing between his spread legs, his back resting against Elliot's chest. "Yeah, I'm starting to see the value in that."

Eddie turned his head, eyes filled with amusement. "You're starting, ah? I thought you already knew," he said rubbing his ass against Elliot's crotch.

Fucker was not going to best him, Elliot thought. He cupped Eddie's cheek, before pulling him closer, pressing his lips against Eddie's. A kiss. Such a simple thing, but Elliot had learned that nothing was simple with Eddie. The kiss lasted longer and longer, their tongues sliding against each other, lips meeting again and again, until breathless, Elliot pulled back.

"You don't need a party, you need a fucking room," Bill said with a snort.

"We got one of those already, but this spices things up," Eddie said.

"What you need is a road trip-" Kurt turned his head to Mark, before going back to the pills in front of him. Elliot hadn't missed the nudge under the table. Road trip, maybe they would get to see Carter soon.

Mark threw a plastic vial to Eddie, who caught it in the air. "What's this?"

"That's a gift," Mark answered. "We were hoping you could pass these around... for the right price."

Eddie slipped the vial in his jeans pocket, before he moved closer to the table and picked up a few bags of pills. "You want us to help you sell them?" He shrugged. "Sure."

* * *

Two hours and an unspecified number of pills later, Elliot dragged Eddie to the first available room. He locked the door, before pushing Eddie against the wall. "What the fuck are you doing? We can't sell drugs."

"I'm not selling. I'm... passing them to guys and passing the money they give me to Mark. There is no profit involved..." Eddie sighed. "Look, I know you want to bust these bastards, so do I, but they aren't our concern. Once we get Carter, we can give the information to the DEA and the FBI, and they can take over."

"These drugs can kill."

"And what? You don't think I know? Or that they don't know? These are adults, they are more than capable to make their own decision." Eddie shook his head. "I'm not gonna let Carter slip away, because these guys are too fucked up to just say no."

Elliot rubbed his face with a hand. "My daughter could be here."

Eddie snorted. "Your daughter is not a gay man, and knowing you, you've raised her better than these spoiled brats."

Elliot chuckled. "Four kids on a cop salary? There's no way I could have spoiled them, even if I had wanted to."

"Still, I bet you were the type of father who smelled their breath every time they went out," Eddie said as he approached the mirror.

"Nah...not every time, only after they turned sixteen," Elliot answered with a grin. "What about you? Have any kids?"

"One daughter. I haven't seen her in ages, though... probably better this way. Can you imagine me as a father?"

"She is your daughter." Elliot didn't know what else to say. He couldn't imagine not being in his children's life, even now that he and Katie weren't together. He frowned when he saw Eddie unzip his jeans, and pull out the shirt from the slit. "What are you doing?"

"We've been locked in a bathroom. I'd rather have them think that we're fucking than we're discussing how despising their drug habit is... which reminds me." He took the vial of meth from his jeans. He threw most of the contents in the sink, before washing away any trace. He poured a few grains of powder on his finger and smeared it under his nose, leaving a white streak. "I fucking hate this shit," he said to himself. "Chew on your lips."

"Why would I do that?" Elliot asked, confused.

"Have you ever seen lips after sucking dick?" Eddie said with a grin.

"And why am I the one sucking dick?" Elliot's voice was filled with amusement, and not disgust now. Maybe he was really getting into this role.

"'Cause I'm the one sniffing meth. You wouldn't be stupid enough to put your dick in the mouth of a man who's too high to remember what he's doing, would you?"

Elliot winced. "Ouch."

"Ouch is right. Now let's get out and see if we can find out more about this road trip. I have a feeling that we'll find Carter at the end of the trip." 

Elliot opened the door, letting Eddie pass before stepping out. Eddie wiped the drug from his face with the back of his hand, before zippering his jeans. Elliot felt Mark's stare before he even saw it. From the look on the man's face, they'd just passed some kind of test.

Eddie threw an arm around Elliot's shoulder. He leaned closer and whispered in Elliot's ear. "It's all in the details, baby." When the kiss came, it was one more detail.

* * *

The next two days were much of the same: pretend to work during the day, go partying at night, pretend to take drugs while partying, but no more mentions of road trips.

On the third day, Eddie's cell rang in the middle of the day. Eddie looked at the number. "It's Mark," he said before answering. "Hey..."

Elliot closed the magazine he was scanning, and paid attention to the conversation, even if he could only hear Eddie's side.

"Yeah, it's a great idea... Please," Eddie drawled out, rolling his eyes. "I haven't paid the rent in months, man. I don't have anything holding me here... No, no, of course, I gotta tell Elliot.... Give me an hour, so I can get in touch with him, and pack, and shit.... Okay, see you at 2:00."

Eddie flipped his cell shut. "You know," he started with a smile. "I didn't want to do this, but... this... this isn't working. I think it's time we split up. It's not you; it's me."

Elliot chuckled. "Yeah, and I hope we can still be friends, except..." He stood up, and took his duffel bag from the closet. "I'm coming with you."

"The hell you are. We have no fucking clue where Carter is, but it's a safe bet that he's not in New York anymore. You have no jurisdiction outside of New York City."

Elliot threw the bag on the bed, before standing right in front of Eddie, their noses almost touching. "I'm not letting you go alone, understood?"

"You know the department isn't going to authorize this."

"By the time I call, we'll be... somewhere else. Look, there is nothing you can say, because you know that I'm right. We've been playing this loving couple, and now what? You just split without me. It'd raise suspicions."

Eddie shook his head. "This is a fucking bad idea. It's against regs."

"And you always do what the regs say, right?"

Eddie cupped the back of Elliot's neck, and sighed. "Do you know what you're doing? This could cost you your job."

Elliot shivered a little at the touch, but ignored it. "I'm doing the right thing."

* * *

Eddie woke up when the car stopped. He looked around. The only thing he could see was a neon sign stating 'Ro_ms a_aila_le.'. "Where are we?" 

"Middle of nowhere, Virginia, off of I-95," Elliot answered. 

"Fancy hotel, I see." Eddie rubbed his eyes, trying to wake up. "I guess we'll be stopping here for the night. I'll get a room for us." 

"Still better than your apartment," Elliot said, hiding a smile, as he followed Eddie out of the car, and into the small office.

An old man with crooked teeth and gray hair grinned like a mad man; he looked like Christmas had come early as they paid cash for four rooms, for a grand total of $120 plus taxes. "We don't got no room service, but there's a McDonald a mile down, pro'bly closed at this time, though. Service station might have something," he told them as he handed them four keys. 

Eddie snorted. "That's great, man."

Mark grinned. "And people wonder why we like big cities. Come on, let's get some sleep, and we can get the hell out of here in the morning."

Eddie grabbed the key that Mark tossed his way. "What time?"

"Six o'clock."

"Okay," Elliot answered. "We'll see you in the morning."

They went to the car to get their duffel bags before going into their room. Sleeping with Eddie was so much part of their routine that Elliot didn't even blink when he saw the single bed in the middle of the dirty room, just like he wasn't surprised that Eddie went straight for the shower, leaving a trail of dirty clothes on the floor.

"You should call Cragen; let him know where we are," Eddie yelled from under the shower.

Elliot snorted, not loud enough for Eddie to hear. He walked to the opened door and leaned against the doorframe. "If I call, he'll tell me to go back."

Eddie partially opened the shower curtain, enough to show the soap still sliding down his body. "You should go back. We ain't going back to New York, that's for sure. My bet is on Miami."

"And I'm not leaving you alone with these sociopaths. If we are going to Miami, I'll call tomorrow, after we get Carter."

"Nothing I say is gonna make a difference, is it?" Eddie turned off the water. "At least, close that damn door, all the a/c is coming in here and it's fucking freezing."

Elliot closed the door, before tossing a towel Eddie's way. "Do you really want to go without backup?"

Eddie dried his face, before wrapping the towel around his hips. He stood in front of Elliot. "I can have backup from the locals, but you're not going to listen, are you?"

Elliot shrugged. "They'd be suspicious if I suddenly disappeared."

Eddie shook his head. "You'll always have an excuse. I'm gonna get some sleep," he said as he opened the door.

"Sure, I'll be there soon." Elliot showered quickly, before walking into the dark room. There was a faint light coming from the worn curtains, and it was enough for Elliot to find a pair of clean boxers from his duffel bag, before slipping into bed.

The old mattress dipped with Elliot's weight, the springs squeaked with every movement. Elliot lay on his side, facing Eddie. He waited in silence for a few moments, and then he said, "You know I'm right."

Eddie snorted. "Of course you are, man. You're never wrong. Never mind that we're breaking so many regs that we'll be in deep shit for weeks, never mind that you're crossing not just cities, but states, and have no fucking jurisdictions, never mind that I shouldn't put you in danger-"

"You're not putting me in danger, okay? We played this right, we won't have a problem. I suddenly disappear and there'll be trouble. So let's get some sleep."

Eddie watched as Elliot rested an arm around Eddie's waist. "And what is this?" Eddie asked, unsure if he should be annoyed or amused.

"I'm making sure that you don't skip in the morning."

"I'm not that kind of man, baby," Eddie said teasingly, "I might not call back, but I always wake up with my lovers." He watched those blue eyes as he slid a leg between Elliot's, and then their world froze.

Eddie could see fear in Elliot's face, but couldn't understand why. Teasing and kissing had been part of the game, but there were some unspoken lines they never crossed... until now. Eddie could feel the hard cock pressed against his hip, and he tried to remember that it had nothing to do with him. Elliot should be upset, not afraid.

"I...sorry," Eddie let out.

Elliot didn't move, didn't answer. Then his lips were crushing against Eddie's. It was nothing like the kisses they had shared in public. This was rough, and needy, their teeth scraping against choppy lips. Their cocks slid against each other through the thin fabric of their boxers. If Eddie had been a better man he'd have stopped and questioned why a man who'd been faithful to a woman for almost twenty-five years suddenly found the urge to shove his tongue down another man's throat, but things were much simpler for Eddie: they were both adults and they both had needs.

Lips were lips, and Elliot's were ready for the taking. Kissing and biting, and sucking and licking until nothing mattered but those primal needs that made it easy to ignore that there was a hard cock in place of a wet pussy.

Eddie slid his hands down Elliot's back, resting on the man's ass. He pushed up again and again as pleasure pooled under his navel, and his balls began to tighten. He let out a groan as wetness spread through his boxers.

Foreheads together, Elliot continued to rock his hips. Then he threw his head back, and came with a look of pain and pleasure blending together, before rolling off of Eddie.

The whole encounter had taken only a few minutes. No words had been exchanged; very few touches had been shared. They should be able to dismiss it easily, but Eddie knew that it wouldn't be so simple for Elliot. He reached out, meeting Elliot's fingers with his. "Hey."

"We need to get some sleep," came the cold reply.

Eddie rolled his eyes in the dark. He almost pointed out that Elliot had started this, but he thought better of it. Instead, he took off his boxers, used them to wipe himself clean before tossing them to the floor.

Elliot got up in the dark, cleaned up, and returned to bed with clean underwater. He lay back down, his back to Eddie.

"You don't have to stay. We had a fight and you left, they'll buy that," Eddie said, staring at the ceiling.

Elliot rolled around. He stared at Eddie for a moment. "I told you; I'm not leaving you alone."

"Maybe I don't want you around, have you thought about that? Not if you won't be able to act normally around these guys."

"They won't notice anything... besides, it's only us in the car."

"We'll get out of the car eventually," Eddie said exasperated.

"They won't know there is anything wrong, okay?"

"So there is something wrong?"

"No!"

"Then, we can talk about this?"

"No!"

"Fine," Eddie snapped back. "You're one complicated bastard," he added under his breath.

Even in the dark, he could see Elliot smile. "I've been called worse."

* * *

Eddie woke up to find Elliot completely dressed and with his duffel bag near the door. "I wasn't gonna leave you behind," Eddie said, still groggy with sleep.

"I know."

"Did you sleep?" Eddie asked as casually as he could manage, as he got out of bed.

"Some... enough..."

"So... you'll be okay?"

"I'll be fine."

Eddie knew this was as much as he was going to get out of Elliot. The man was never one for long discussion, something that Eddie didn't mind, but if something was bothering Elliot, then words became as scarce as water in the desert. Eddie didn't expect to drink anytime soon.

Breakfast was a quick affair before they all got into their cars, and resumed their trip south. Elliot and Eddie barely said anything else for the next fifteen hours when they finally parked their car in the driveway of a very expensive villa in West Palm Beach.

"We've reached the end of the yellow brick road," Eddie said as he turned off the engine. 

Elliot snorted. "As long as there is no singing."

"All these fairies and a Judy Garland movie and you don't want any singing? Tsk, tsk, what kind of a fag are you?" Again, the world froze around them. Eddie was starting to think that maybe it was time to send Elliot home, maybe arrange a fight. "Look, about last night..."

"There's nothing to talk about." Elliot grabbed his bag, and got out of the car.

* * *

"Yes, that's the address," Eddie said in his cell. "Look, Conrad, just make sure that you get the locals and the FBI to talk. I don't wanna be caught in the crossfire."

Elliot handed him a message, and Eddie read it, and nodded. "Elliot said that they just decided to go clubbing... yeah, I know it's midnight and we got here a few hours ago... no, I can't find an excuse to stay in... Look, this is perfect. Get in touch with whomever, we can determine some kind of signal, and they can storm the house in the morning. They'll be too high and too sleepy to put up any resistance. They'll probably have so much shit on them that we can get all of them.

"Captain Cragen, eh?" Eddie looked at Elliot and sighed. "Yeah, Elliot was about to call him. We really didn't have time..."

"Bullshit, Eddie. You've been traveling for two days," Rose said. "He could have made a phone call, just like you've made your daily call."

"And say what? We have no idea where we're going?"

"No more like, I'm still alive, don't worry..." Rose sighed. "Is this guy good?"

Eddie grinned, thinking in how many ways that could be interpreted, but he knew what Rose meant. "Yeah, he's good. He'll have my back if things go south."

"Good, hopefully everything will go fine."

Eddie snorted. "Never does. Sons of a bitch never make it easy on us... Okay, so I'll call you later and you can give me the details."

"Sure, and I'll call Cragen, in case you don't have the time to call before going dancing."

Eddie smiled. "Thanks... talk to you later." He hung up his phone and clipped it to his belt. "You're in deep shit, my friend, but Rose is gonna call Cragen for you."

Elliot shrugged. "Not the first time... so, it's going to happen tonight."

"More like tomorrow morning."

Elliot nodded. "Lots of coffee is in order."

"Can't find coffee here. It's almond cappuccino with some vanilla cream," Eddie said with a grin. He checked to make sure his gun was tucked into his jeans. "Come on, let's go partying."

"If I never see a club again, it'll be too soon," Elliot murmured before following Eddie out of the room.

* * *

Perfect plans never quite work the way they are supposed to.

Everything had been arranged with speed and efficiency. Around four am, Eddie had called Rose and gotten all the details. The house was already under surveillance. A SWAT team was on stand-by. They would wait for the gang to return home, and get into bed before storming in.

When they finally got home, Eddie and Elliot hung around, waiting for everyone to go to their rooms, before going into theirs. Eddie brought out his gun, made sure that the safety was off, and checked the clip. He also found his badge and put it in his pocket. He watched Elliot do the same. "Ready?"

Elliot nodded. "You know that we should stay here, and let the SWAT team do their job?"

"And miss all the fun?" Eddie asked with a snort.

"I never said we will, only that we should. Let's go." Elliot cracked the door open and looked to make certain there was no one outside, before they left their room.

That was how they found themselves in the middle of a shoot out. Mark had a gun pointed at a member of the SWAT team. Elliot stood up from behind the closet. "Drop it," he yelled over the commotion. 

Then time slowed down for Eddie. He watched as Elliot gave up his cover to protect a fellow cop. He saw Carter aiming a gun at Elliot. He saw Carter's finger press against the trigger. 

"Drop the gun," Eddie yelled just as he shot his gun. In this chaos, no one would remember how much time before the warning and the shooting. They would only remember the warning. In this mayhem, no one could blame him for hitting Carter right in his chest. 

Eddie watched Carter go down before the living room was swamped with cops. Time returned to normal, and instinct took over. Eddie kneeled down, but still holding his gun toward Mark. "US Marshal," he yelled raising his badge with his left hand. "He's a cop," he added pointing at Elliot, who was still standing with his gun pointed at Mark.

Just like that, it was over. He'd done his job, there was only the cleaning up left to do, and then he could go home.

* * *

Eddie was outside, leaning against one of the expensive cars that Carter had bought. Elliot came out, duffel bag in hand. He dropped the bag on the ground, and leaned against the car so that he was standing shoulder to shoulder with Eddie. "So..."

"So... how bad are things with Cragen?"

Elliot shrugged. "Cragen'll understand... eventually, and you? Ready to go home?"

"Yeah, I'm waiting for a cab to take me to the airport. Look, about the other day..." Eddie pushed himself off the car, and stood between Elliot's legs. "Forget about it, all right? We were undercover, things get... confusing."

"That's what you're going to do? Forget about it? You don't remember the name of half the people you kissed, right?" Elliot rubbed the back of his head. "I can't. I've been with two people in two decades... I'm not exactly the casual type."

"So what? You want to marry me now?" Eddie asked teasingly, but he couldn't hide a note of worry from creeping into his voice.

"So you can cheat on me? No thanks," Elliot answered with a grin. "Still, I can't forget about it. I shouldn't have... it's a sin, and Katie... but I did it, and it means something, even if I don't have a fucking clue what."

"I knew I could get you to curse," Eddie said with a grin, and then he squeezed Elliot's arm. "Don't think too much. I told you, undercover work screws with people's heads, and getting off...it's always a good way to release tension."

"I'll keep that in mind." Elliot nodded toward the driveway. "Your cab is here."

"Wanna share? You might be stuck at the airport for a while, though."

Elliot shrugged. "I don't have anything else to do."

"'Kay... you know, if you ever want to talk..."

"I should call my shrink?" Elliot asked with a grin.

Eddie chuckled. "Nah, she's only gonna ask you more questions. I was gonna say, come to LA, I got a bar, we can get drunk..."

"And we can have a repeat?"

"Do you want to?" Eddie asked.

"I have no clue, Eddie, no fucking clue."

Eddie picked up both their duffel bags, and moved toward the taxi. He put the bags in the trunk, before facing Elliot again. "You can always call me; we'll figure it out together."

Elliot shook his head, and smiled. It sounded crazy even to Eddie's ears, but he meant it. In a few weeks, they had affected each other's lives in a way that would forever tie them together. This wasn't true love, but Eddie was willing to bet that they'd be there for each other in the future, and he rarely lost a bet.


End file.
